A Long Awaited Update

Well, it's been a long time since we've posted an update and a lot has happened!

First, on November 2, Marcus Nathaniel Butler became 100% officially, legally our son! Needless to say we are so thrilled to be at the end of the "process" and to be "official." We had a great time celebrating with family and friends.

Our other big news is that Marcus is going to be a big brother in May! We are pregnant and are so excited to be adding to our growing family. We have had a few scares with some bleeding. I was admitted to the hospital for a couple of days to monitor things. The good news is that the baby is doing great -- we see a strong heartbeat and good movement on the ultrasounds. The not so good news is that I am on modified bed rest for a while -- meaning I can get up to go to the bathroom and shower and to get something to eat or drink, but other than that, I'm laying or sitting down. My doctor said the official instructions are to be a "couch potato" and be waited on as much as possible (including no housework!).

Since being a "couch potato" with a 3-year old is hard to do, we are so blessed to have family and friends to help us. Our church family has jumped in to bring dinner for several nights and offers to transport visiting family. Bryant's Mom (a.k.a. Nana Roe!) is arriving today! My sister Kathryn and niece Laura will arrive on Nov 28. Then we'll see who comes next. If we can make it to Dec. 18 with some help during each week, we'll be set! Then Bryant will be off for 2 weeks to enjoy the holidays. We are praying that things will continue to get better and I can get back to being up and about more. The worst part of this for me (besides worrying about the baby) is that we probably will not make it "home" to S.C. for Christmas this year. We were really looking forward to a trip home for Marcus' first Christmas with us. But we know we will have special memories here in our home in Kansas.

The final big news to share (at least Marcus thinks it's big news) is that we had our first snow here in Kansas on Monday Nov 16! It was so pretty to watch it fall. It was only about an inch and the rain that followed washed it away quickly. It was neat to see "winter" again after 3 years in summery CA!

We hope all our friends and family have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for this year! We hope you do too!

Happy 3rd Birthday Marcus!!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Marcus, Happy Birthday to you!!! We are celebrating Marcus' 3rd Birthday today. We had a farm-themed party last Friday with some of Marcus' new friends. We had so much fun. We played games, ate burgers and hot dogs, had yummy cake and ice cream! Marcus is very blessed with a lot of great friends here in Kansas. To check out the fun, here is link to an on-line album of pictures

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=501033118703%3A1041603706

Today, we headed out to Target for Marcus to pick out a new tricycle! He also picked out a cool new helmet and some new "race cars" (his new fascination thanks to the movie Cars)! Any car with a spoiler on it is a "race car"-- no matter what it looks like! It's so funny to be walking through a parking lot and hear him yell "race car" only to see an early 1990s Pontiac sedan with a spoiler on the back! We had a fun birthday lunch at Longhorn Steak House. Our waitress Renee was great. She doted on Marcus the entire meal after he told her it was his birthday. She brought him a cool twisty straw, a little trophy with a birthday sticker and the best part was the hot fudge sundae with 3 cherries for his 3rd birthday.

He's had so many phone calls from family and friends. Any time the phone rings he asks, "For me?" What a lucky little boy to have so many people who love him!

Happy Birthday Marcus! We love you so much and can't wait to celebrate lots and lots of birthdays with you!

Great news!

We received word and official paperwork that our Finalization Hearing for Marcus' adoption will be November 2! We are so excited that our request to shorten the wait time was approved and that we could get a court date so fast.

Marcus and I leave on Wednesday the 14th to head to S.C. for a visit. We are just going to stay around until November 3! Bryant will fly out on Oct 30 to celebrate Halloween with us and be there for the hearing. We'll all get to fly home together!

It's hard to believe that a year ago at this time, we were waiting to get our home study approval! Now we are about to officially in the eyes of the court have Marcus as our son -- of course, we don't need a court to tell us that!

We appreciate all the support, prayers, and love that everyone has given to us through this process. We certainly have learned a lot and hope that some day we can help another family navigate "the system" that is so complicated! We know every obstacle and delay was worth it when we look in Marcus' sweet smiling face. I guess that was our pregnancy, labor and delivery -- just took over 18 months!

We celebrated Marcus' 3rd birthday on Friday night. I'll wait to post some info and pictures about that on his actual birthday on Monday!

Fun at the Farm

On Saturday, we visited the Red Barn Farm in Weston, MO. What a fun day!! It was overcast and a bit chilly (especially when the wind would blow), but we still had a great time. Marcus was so excited to go to a real farm with animals and tractors!! Look out Grandpa Lee -- you may have a farming apprentice on your hands!

We took a fun tractor-pulled hayride out to the pumpkin patch where we were able to pick out the perfect pumpkins for our front steps! We picked out 3 -- one for each of us! Then we visited the animals -- chickens, turkeys, goats, miniature horses! Marcus even got to pet one of the tiny horses on the back.

We had so much fun that we know we will go back for another visit! Next time we'll take the horse-drawn hayride to explore into the woods! Should be fun. Check out our pictures at http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=3kgkaqjj.5z7rtmtj&x=0&h=1&y=ruwg7n&localeid=en_US

Where has September gone?

Somehow, August flew right past us and now September is almost gone too! We have had a busy start to the fall like so many of our friends and family. Bryant's schools are keeping him busy, Marcus is enjoying playtime with friends and the weather for playing outside, and I am keeping busy keeping up with Marcus and Bryant!

Last Friday, Sept 18, Bryant had his right knee "scoped" again. This time the doctor cleaned up some damage behind his knee cap from arthritis and repaired a "leak" that was creating a cyst. He told us that Bryant really shouldn't run any more -- ever. Then he laughed and said "I realize that I am talking to a Marine!" He'll do some physical therapy and then can start cross-training -- running only when mandatory! The procedure went well, and the staff at the Munson Health Center at Fort Leavenworth were great. Bryant even made it home about 5 hours soon than he did last time. Marcus has been Daddy's "big helper" -- bringing him things and following him around the house.

I started playing handbells with the choir at church a couple of weeks ago. I have surprised myself at how I picked back up with it after 10 years away. It's a lot of fun, and I am enjoying getting to know my fellow "ringers."

Marcus and I have enjoyed story-time each week at the Leavenworth Public Library. We have heard some fun stories and have made some neat crafts! Next week we will learn about wagon trains!

We are in full birthday planning mode too! Marcus turns 3 on October 12! We are planning a farm-themed cookout/birthday party with some of our new friends here in Kansas. I am trying hard not to go overboard with the planning! It's so hard because I keep finding so many cute things! Bryant is keeping me under control.

Hard to believe summer is behind us and fall is making it's way in. The leaves here are changing and there is a nip in the air at night. We are enjoying our first "real" fall in 3 years! Looking forward to fun fall activities and the holidays that won't be far behind!

Back Among the "Living"

Finally, after what seemed much longer than 4 months, we have internet access at our home! Yeah! I'm finally catching up on some neglected correspondence and updating our blog. We truly feel like we are back among the living! Having internet at the home has also allowed Bryant to be home more. He can do more homework and research from here now and not have to spend time at the library or at school. It is great to have him home (even when he is holed-up in his office)!

Lots has happened in the past month since I last posted! Marcus is still adjusting perfectly. Just a few typical toddler moments, but those truly are short lived. Thank goodness for a short attention span and being easily diverted by something fun!

We had a lot of fun in August when Nana Roe (Bryant's mom) and Uncle Kevin came to visit! Marcus had so much fun playing with them and showing them around his new house and town. We even went to the Leavenworth County Fair (I will post pictures of that soon). It is a true, rural, small county fair -- the best kind! Marcus had a blast! He loved seeing the animals and getting so close to them. He had a hot dog for dinner (one of his favorite meals!). He rode lots of rides (including one that made Mommy very nervous). He finished off the night with a bowl of chocolate ice cream! That same weekend, we went to a cookout for Daddy's small group at school. The best part was Marcus got to feed some horses and go fishing. He even saw a skunk (which he insists was blue)! We had such fun with Nana Roe and Uncle Kevin. Can't wait for them to come back and to bring Papa Lee with them.

Marcus has had fun making new friends. Nathan lives next door. Zach lives at Fort Leavenworth and his Daddy went to the Citadel with Bryant. Will lives up the road and is a fellow USMC kid! His Mom and Dad and big brother Trae are friends of ours from Quantico and Camp Pendleton. Marcus has meet sisters named Grace and Caroline (not to be confused with his cousins Gracen and Caroline)! Their mom Miss Sydney is one of Marcus' favorite people (we are pretty sure it's the M&Ms she gives him!) All in all, he is surrounded by a bunch of fun new friends!

On the horizon, we have First City Festival here in Leavenworth this weekend. We'll be helping with the booth that our church is sponsoring and looking forward to exploring downtown a bit more. Next Friday, Sept 18, Bryant will have surgery on his knee. . . AGAIN! Yes for those paying attention, he had his knee scoped back in January. They are going back in and hopefully finding out what is causing pain and swelling (and fixing it!) In October, we are planning a 3rd birthday party for Marcus (he turns 3 on October 12!). Then Marcus and I will be taking a trip to SC for a visit -- our first trip on an airplane just the 2 of us!

I am amazed each night as we put Marcus to bed at how much I can love someone! He brings us so much joy. I tell people we are "over the moon" in love with him and we truly are!

2 + 1 = Family!!

I can not believe it's been 3 weeks and 3 days since we received that phone call to say we could bring Marcus home! It feels like we have been a family forever!!

My Mom, Marcus, and I arrived in Kansas the evening of Saturday July 18 in time for dinner with Bryant. Marcus was a champ on the long 2-day car trip (975 miles give or take!) My Mom was a huge help both on the ride and getting settled in the first couple of days home. She had to head back to SC on July 21st for the Elliott Family Beach Trip! (we hope to join them for that trip next summer!)

Our new church family at First Presbyterian in Leavenworth has been such a blessing. We are amazed at the number of families there who have adopted children! There are several kids in the church who are adopted and they all get so excited each Sunday to see Marcus. Today was a BIG milestone because Marcus stayed in the toddler nursery rather than staying with us for the service. He had fun playing and is really getting comfortable with the new friends he is meeting.

Marcus loves to go fishing with Daddy! Really anything outside makes him happy -- blowing bubbles, playing in the sprinkler, going to the park, etc., etc. He has a great new wagon that he loves to ride in too.

We are already in a nice routine, and so far Bryant's work schedule has allowed him to be home a good bit. One of my favorite times of day is when Bryant gets home. There is nothing like hearing Marcus squeal "Daddy" as his laughs and giggles and runs to the top of the stairs!

I could write a novel on the past 3 weeks! I will hold off and update with more stories soon. There are 2 bits of good news I will share before closing. First, we received some critical paperwork last week from the Adoptions Office in SC. Our attorney there should be able to file our complaint for adoption in the coming weeks. Then we will be closer to finalizing the adoption. Second, we may finally get internet service at the house!! Yeah! Time Warner has finally decided that they can run the lines across one street to get service to the rest of the neighborhood! Maybe by the end of September. That will make blogging easier! :)

Life is GOOD! No really, it's GREAT, AMAZING, PERFECT!! Marcus is adjusting really well to his new home and family. Bryant and I feel like we are complete (at least for now!!) :) To check out some pictures, go to http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=3kgkaqjj.cgqgylxz&x=0&y=dk0s0w&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_button. Or you can click the title to this post entry.

We got THE CALL!!!

Finally!! After 14 months of "home study" work and 7 months of waiting since being officially "selected", we finally got "the call" that we can bring Marcus home to Kansas! YEAH!!! Yes, that loud scream you heard around 3:00 pm eastern time was me getting the call!

Needless to say this afternoon has been quite busy as we made phone calls, sent emails, and tried to spread the word. Plus I was busy packing up to get ready to make the long drive to Kansas. Thank goodness my Dad is the world's best car packer because he was able to get everything in my trunk and leave the backseat open for things we will need to travel and things we pick up with Marcus. Most of his toys and clothes we had already packed up. His foster mom Peggy had done that for us and it was a huge help!

On Friday, my Mom, Marcus and I will being the 974 mile trip from South Carolina to Kansas. We hope we can make it there by Saturday night-- our goal for the first day is to make it at least to Clarksville, TN. We have lots of new movies and music CDs as well as some new books and toys to entertain Marcus. Thank goodness he is a good rider and he sleeps well in his new car seat!

We will keep you all posted as we begin this next amazing chapter in our lives. After 4 years, we can hardly believe we are finally growing from 2 to 3! We are so blessed and so excited!

Thank you all for your prayers and support! Keep them coming as the next few months will be filled with new opportunities and growth as we bond as a family!

Making progress!

We finally feel like we are making progress in our efforts to bring Marcus home to Kansas! We found out last week that our Kansas case worker Ruth submitted her report to the Interstate Compact Office in Topeka (ICPC). We were thrilled because some earlier conversations had us worrying that she may wait until closer to her "deadline" of July 24. Thank goodness she recognized our sense of urgency and pushed forward. The even better news is that the ICPC office processed Ruth's report within 24 hours and had the documentation off in the mail to the ICPC office in Columbia, SC. This really is one of the last big hurdles to overcome.

Once the Columbia ICPC office receives the paperwork (which we hope happened on Friday or will happen on Monday), they can contact the Adoptions Office in Greenville. Then they will contact us and we can start making plans. In my "perfect dream world" that would mean my Mom, Marcus and I could leave SC later this week (maybe by Thursday?).

While we are still waiting, we are thrilled to be SO CLOSE to an official placement! Then we can start the process of bonding and attaching as a family as we wait for the finalization hearing.

Bryant has been super busy back in Kansas! He has hosted our friends Jon and Brooke Burgess and their kids Alex and Maddie over night as they make a cross-country trip to their new home in Yuma, AZ. Also, his Uncle Claude and Aunt Lois and their friend Shirley arrive today for a visit as they do some sightseeing across the US. I wish I could have been home with Marcus to see our friends and family as they visit, but we know Bryant has been a wonderful host! (Plus Brooke said the house is super clean!)

I have been busy spending time with Marcus. He stayed for 6 days with me while his foster parents were out of town. We had a lot of fun and are definitely making progress in bonding.

I'll update as soon as we have more news to share!

More waiting. . .

Well, I hardly know where to start this entry! It's been almost 3 weeks since I last posted and while a lot has happened, not much has changed! We arrived in SC on June 8 and had a great week together with Marcus. Bryant went back to Kansas on June 12. He reported to Fort Leavenworth on June 15 and officially checked in. He then started a LONG "honey do" list around the house. Turns out that the case worker in Kansas keeps coming up with things we have to do (or re-do in some cases since we have done some of these things multiple times in multiple states!) We had to have a fence installed in the backyard, a gate put on the stairs off the deck, cabinet locks, etc. etc. So Bryant has been a busy bee taking care of all of that. Today, the case worker came back to the house and gave her "OK" on that, but then proceeded to give us MORE paperwork to do. The most frustrating part is that on June 5 when she first visited, she said she had never seen a family so "ready" and that there wouldn't be a lot of paperwork to do. UGH!! Does anyone out there know anyone in Kansas that may have a clue about how we can move things forward? The folks in S. C. are ready to send Marcus home with us once Kansas gives the "OK".

In the meantime, I have been enjoying my time in Clinton with my family. I currently have no return date to KS! Since we are so close to getting permission to bring Marcus with us, I am staying until we get the approval. I am not leaving without him this time! We need lots of prayers that the folks in Kansas can get their act together and move things forward! I have been able to spend a lot of time with Marcus thanks to his wonderful foster parents! Even went on a little weekend trip to Charleston with him! He got to meet our dear friends James, Barbara, and Rebecca Bowers one night. Then he met my best friend Valerie Glessner, her husband Dave, daughter Ashleigh and her parents Donna and Ed the next day. Marcus loved playing with his new "cousin" Ashleigh (my god-daughter). We even were able to have dinner with my dear friend Mary Aquino. Marcus was perfect and such a good traveler. It was a fun trip! This past week, Marcus and I joined my sister Lauren and her girls at Vacation Bible School at 1st Presbyterian Church in Laurens, SC. What fun! Marcus had a great time and talked about "bible cool" every day.

So now we are waiting. . . again. I could go on and on about my frustrations, but I want to keep this positive! We are trying to jump through all these hoops, but each time we think we are done, a new batch is thrown at us!

Bryant will take all the relevant paperwork to the case worker in KS on Monday morning. Hopefully she will actually do something timely and get her report in ASAP. In the meantime, I'm missing Bryant but enjoying time with Marcus and my family!

Waffle House and Sweet Tea -- we are almost 'home'

Bryant and I left this morning for Clinton, SC. We are driving! Not quite 1000 miles from door to door. We had a great drive today -- made it to Lebanon, TN (over 600 miles down!) It was fun to drive through Missouri (saw the Arch in St. Louis from the road), then Illinois, Kentucky and into Tennessee. Amazing to see this beautiful country! Of course, Bryant's favorite part of the day was stopping for dinner in Clarksville, TN at a Waffle House! I would have bought a gallon of their sweet tea if I could have -- yummy!

The main purpose of this trip is to spend time with Marcus. We can't wait to see him. Here's a quick update on the adoption process: On Tuesday, June 2, we received a call from Ruth at Child and Family Services in Leavenworth. We were thrilled since we didn't think we would hear from anyone until later this month or even July. Ruth will be our case worker in KS. She was wonderful! She is the first person in this whole process to say "Marcus needs to be placed with you ASAP so he can start attaching and adjusting to his new family and new life". That was music to our ears! As soon as all the legal proceedings/rulings are completed in SC, he can come home with us. Still not 100% sure when that will be, but we are starting to see the faint glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. We are so excited that we even put Marcus' new car seat in my car for this trip to Clinton! We figured he can try it out and get used to riding in it -- and I guess I have to admit that we have a slight hope that we may be able to bring him home to Kansas by the end of this visit. We'll see!

Bryant will fly back to KS on Friday. He has a fishing invitation for the weekend, and he has to report to Fort Leavenworth on Monday the 15th. I am staying in Clinton until the end of June. My Mom may make the drive back to KS with me.

Stay tuned for highlights of our trip! We look forward to seeing friends and family and hopefully introducing Marcus to some of you during this trip.

FINALLY -- an update!

Finally a moment to sit down and give you a quick update after almost a month! We do not have internet access at our home (long frustrating story) so I haven't had a chance to post an update. We have found the local library has free "wireless" internet, and we spend several hours a few times a week there!

Oh where do I begin to update you . . . On May 5th, our "household goods" arrived in Kansas as did Bryant! What a great way to spend my birthday! The movers were awesome and had the truck unloaded in about 5 hours. So far nothing has been broken! Yeah! That is a first for a Butler USMC move! My parents came to Kansas on May 7. We put them to work right away -- unpacking boxes, putting down shelf paper, hanging blinds, etc., etc. By the time they headed back to SC on May 12, we were weeks ahead of where we usually are in a move. THANK YOU MOM & DAD!!!

We are loving life in Kansas. The slower pace is much more to our liking! The people here are so nice and friendly (I think the slower pace means people are less stressed out and therefore happier!) We enjoy the chance to get out and explore the area every now and then. It really is a beautiful area.

When my parents were here, we discovered that the minister at First Presbyterian Church in Leavenworth is a friend of theirs. Ron VanSchenkhof was in South Carolina for a few years. We have enjoyed Sunday services there and getting to know the members. Ron's wife Carol has recruited us to volunteer at a place called Kid's Connection. It's a place K - 8th graders can come in the afternoons to play, to do crafts, to work on computers, to do homework, etc. We had fun with the kids and look forward to going back soon.

We are still waiting on information from South Carolina on where things stand with regards to the adoption of Marcus. We are getting his room all ready here in Kansas and hope to hear some positive news soon. We want to plan a trip to SC in June, and are trying to plan around whatever we may need to do for that process. We know it will be worth all the hassle in the end. We just wish that the interest of the child was the focus of the "system". It's heartbreaking to see how adults make poor decisions that create problems. We are just so grateful that Marcus is in a loving home with an amazing family. We are very anxious to bring him home with us soon!

Follow the yellow brick road. . .

On Monday April 27, I left Oceanside, CA to head to Leavenworth, KS. I waited until the first of the movers arrived to start packing up the house in CA! My dear, wonderful friend Nori was so great to offer to ride with me to Kansas! I don't know what I would have done without her!

We made great progress each day. I have to admit that I was a little out of my comfort zone because I didn't make any advance reservations for hotels! I had researched the route and logical places to stop each night, and it worked perfectly! I guess I have learned some travel tips from my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Joe! On Monday, we put in about 700 miles and made it to Green River, Utah. Then on Tuesday, we drove another 700 miles to Hays, Kansas. The drive on Tuesday was amazing! We took I-70 East through the Rocky Mountains! AMAZING! Truly witnessed God's handiwork. It was breath-taking! Today, we finished up the trip with 250 miles into Leavenworth! Today was the only day we hit "not-so-great" weather with some rain for the last hour of driving.

While Nori and I were making our way east, Bryant was handling the packing of the house. I figured after doing 5 moves on my own, it was his turn -- ha, ha! I think he understands now some of the reasons I am always so stressed out during a move! The good news is that the truck was loaded today and should arrive in Kansas on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week! Bryant should be able to leave CA on Saturday morning and be here on Monday night! I can't wait for him to arrive and to start getting settled into our new home!

We do have some good news to report on the adoption process! The final hearing to terminate the rights of Marcus' birth father took place on Monday. So in a few short weeks, he will be "free and clear". We still have to get through some "interstate compact" procedures. We'll keep you posted.

Our WONDERFUL friends in California threw us a "toddler shower" last Saturday. I still am so overwhelmed that they thought to do that. We are so blessed!! Marcus certainly will be the best dressed little boy in Kansas and will have a lot of fun toys and books!

Catching up!

Sorry for the lull in posts! The past few weeks have been super busy for both of us as we prepare to leave California to head to Kansas. On Friday April 3, the Officers of 1/11 gathered for a "Hail and Farewell" (for our civilian friends, this is a social gather where a unit welcomes new Marines and says farewell to Marines leaving the unit). Since Bryant will be leaving soon, they took the time to "farewell" him and presented him with a plaque. Then I was surprised with a gift too! The batteries each had submitted a gift (like photographs, a sweatshirt, a unit coin, etc) and they were placed into a "primer box" that had been refinished. On top of the box is a cannon, the battalion coin and a plaque with some very kind words. I was truly overwhelmed! It was a very touching act and a gift that means more to me than they will ever know.

Bryant headed out to the "field" at Camp Pendleton with the battalion one last time on April 6 for a few days. I headed to South Carolina on April 7! Bryant joined me on April 15th. We've enjoyed spending time with Marcus -- building bonds and getting to know him better! We met with his Adoption Case Worker and were formally presented his "background". We still have some waiting as a final court hearing is scheduled for April 27th and then we have to get Kansas to approve us! Then Kansas and SC have some procedures to work through. We are hopeful that the road ahead will be smooth and we can bring Marcus home with us very soon!

On April 18th we enjoyed a fun filled day celebrating the marriage of Bryant's sister Tracey to Mr. Randall Soper. We spent the weekend in Columbia and had an amazing time with family and friends. The wedding was beautiful!! We are so happy for the newlyweds and glad to "officially" welcome Randy to the family.

We have a couple of days left in the Carolinas to spend with Marcus and family in Clinton and in Fort Mill. Then we head back to CA on the 22nd. Just in time to start getting ready for the movers to arrive on April 27th! Stay tuned for updates as we make our separate treks across the country and get settled in our new home!

Thursday was a "blast"!

Yesterday, (Thurs March 26) was quite a day! It started off with a special treat arranged by our great friend Nori Jackson. Nori is the amazing Family Readiness Officer for 1st Battalion, 11th Marines (yes she is the person who has saved my sanity by taking over 90% of the "stuff" I was doing for the battalion!). Nori arranged for the 2 of us to go out with a Battery from the battalion on the "gun line" and "pull a lanyard" (in civilian words, we got to go out with the big howitzers and fire one!) The Marines of Battery C and their Battery Commander (Capt Kenny Jones) were our hosts. Bryant was able to go out with us too. We had to suit up in a flack jacket and helmet and had to ride out to the position in the back of a high-back Humvee! We had so much fun and learned a lot. As the wife of an Artillery Marine, I hear a lot about the gun line, the howitzers and what they do, but seeing it in action and getting to pull the cord to shoot one -- well it was amazing! Thanks to Nori, Kenny, and Battery C!

As it turns out, whenever I spend time in Nori's office I tend to get phone calls with good news (maybe that it is a sign I should spend more time there!). I was there in December when we got the call from the Adoptions office in Greenville, SC that we had been selected by their panel as Marcus' adoptive parents (the sweet little boy in South Carolina). This time we received a call with great news that is still hard to believe! As many of you know, one of the delays in our process to adopt Marcus has been court delays and issues with terminating the parental rights of the birth parents. Despite showing little to no interest in him and not taking any steps to work on their ability to be good parents, they have not been willing to relinquish their rights . . . until now -- a little over 2 years to the day he was placed in foster care! The birth mother signed the papers in court on Thursday! We are thrilled and so excited for this huge obstacle to be out of the way (it certainly brings up all kinds of questions - like why now and why did she wait so long, etc., but we are not questioning it and know that God has a plan so we just have to trust in Him!).

We still have to wait for a court hearing to terminate the rights of the birth father (or the sperm donor as I like to call him -- he certainly is not a "father" in any way). That will be the end of April and should be a simple process. Then we will see what the next step is to get South Carolina and Kansas talking!

Thank you for all your support and prayers! We know that God's hand is guiding us and we know He is hearing your words. Please pray for Marcus' birth mother - that she will get the help and support she needs and that in time will know she will find peace with her decision.

Creating bonds. . .

Hard to believe March is almost over! This has been a busy month for us as we work on building bonds! We are making plans for our move to Kansas -- building ties to that community and reconnecting with friends who will be at Ft. Leavenworth with us. Jennifer spent some time in Clinton, SC visiting family and spending time with Marcus, the little boy we are hoping to adopt. It's amazing to see how he is growing and thriving. He is growing so fast, learning new skills and developing relationships with our family. He and our youngest niece Caroline are quite the pair! Their speech therapist said they are little an old married couple -- arguing one minute and holding hands the next! I was really happy that Bryant's mom Roberta, his sister Tracey and his aunt Brenda were able to meet us for lunch one day and meet Marcus too! The visit to SC was great and could have only been better if Bryant had been there. We'll both be there in April to spend time with Marcus and to celebrate Bryant's sister's wedding! I'll have some pictures from the March visit to share soon.

Today marks 2 years that Marcus has been in foster care. He is so blessed to be with Gregg, Peggy, and their sons. They are such an amazing family! We are so grateful for the love and care they have given to Marcus.

They Say the Neon Lights are Bright On Broadway . . .

So in Kansas, we'll be living on Broadway!! Broadway Terrace that is -- so no neon lights!! We are so excited about being homeowners again! Here is a link to some photos if you are interested (warning there are a LOT of photos!): http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=3kgkaqjj.55ne998f&x=0&h=1&y=-gdrhpx&localeid=en_US

It's a 2 story home with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. I think we both are most excited about a 2 car garage that BOTH vehicles will fit into and still have room for our freezer and storage! Actually we are most excited about planning a special room for a special little boy who we hope to have join our family soon!

House Hunting Trip to Kansas

We flew out to Kansas on Monday, February 23 to spend some time getting to know the area and to look for a place to live. We figured with the market like it is, it is a good time to be home owners again.

We had quite an interesting week that certainly did not start the way we expected. On Tuesday morning, Feb 24, Bryant had to rush me to St. John Hospital in Leavenworth, KS. You see, we had a little secret -- I was about 10 weeks pregnant. Unfortunately, I had a miscarriage. While we were devastated by this loss, the experience lead us to learn a lot about the community we are about to call "home". The ER doctor and nurses were so amazing -- caring and encouraging at first and comforting and compassionate when we all realized what had happened. They held our hands, provided hugs of support and even cried with us. When I had to go back for a follow up test, they all remembered us and were offering more hugs and encouragement. I was refered to a local ob/gyn who was wonderful as well! Truly everyone we met while in Kansas treated us like we were "home" from the doctors and nurses, to the pharmacist at CVS, to the waitresses at restaurants, to the staff at the hotel. Everyone was so wonderful!

On a more positive note, the realtor we worked with was amazing -- Sally Estes! She did a lot of leg work before hand and during my recovery time. She even took Bryant out and about to look at homes and areas when I needed some quiet time. When I was ready, I joined in on the 'fun'. I'm very happy to report that we found a new house to buy! We put in an offer and it was accepted the next morning -- no haggling -- yahoo! I'll put more details about the house later along with some pictures.

So we'll be heading to Kansas in less than 2 months. I will go out earlier than Bryant so I can start getting the house settled and ready for the next stage of the adoption process in Kansas.

Stay tuned for more updates later this week!

Link to Pictures

Here is a link to an on-line photo album with pictures from Bryant's Promotion Ceremony!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=3kgkaqjj.9qq47z0b&x=0&y=dvvka0&localeid=en_US

Finally getting started!

Finally! 2009 started off with a bang and we haven't slowed down much. I finally found a few minutes to stop and think about our blog.

Here is a quick update from us:

• January 1, Bryant was promoted to Major. (I'll post more pictures of the ceremony soon). A very exciting milestone in his career.


• Jan 12 Bryant had arthroscopic knee surgery to repair some damage. Trying to keep up with the young Marines finally caught up with him! He's doing well and healing nicely. Should be cleared to run again soon.


• January was full of ups and downs with regards to our plans to adopt. We are making great progress with our efforts to adopt our special little boy in South Carolina. Just waiting on a court hearing in April so we can move forward. Mean while, we were still open to adopting a child here in CA. We actually had 3 cases presented to us and one was very promising! We went through all the steps to find out at the last minute that the birth mother was going to be given 6 months to get her act together. While we certain wish her the best, her history is not good and it's very certain the baby will eventually be put back "in the system". No matter, we know God has a plan for us and we are waiting to see what all it involves!


• The big news in January is that Bryant was selected to attend the Army's Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. So we are heading to the mid-west this spring! We head out to do some "house hunting" next week.

So that's a quick update from us. We'll post more about our house hunting trip and any other exciting news that may pop up!